The Grammys are upon us. As I ponder the nominees in the category of "Song of the Year" on my Recording Academy voting ballot I'm happy to report that all five compositions were written by no more than three songwriters. Why does this make me smile?

Whether or not she returns to the heights of Goodies, she says, is out of her hands. And Ciara refuses to allow undue pressure -- whether from others or herself -- to make that the only gauge of success for this new record.

Britney and her manager were conspiring to mess with one of the assistants by sending him on a wild goose chase for a straw hat and a tiara, while Simon decided to arrive on an electric scooter with a police escort. Just another "X Factor" audition show ...

We kicked off episode 3 in Kansas City, where the big news in the arena was that poor, delicate Simon Cowell was feeling under the weather and was skipping the auditions, presumably to roll around on a bed covered in $100 bills.

Luckily, since the new season of "Glee" premiered immediately after, there was only enough time for an hour of mortifying attempts at singing from those deserving of restraining orders, which marks the first occasion I'll ever feel grateful for "Glee."

"The X Factor" got off to a strong start, with plenty of tearjerking moments and a few stand-out artists in the bunch. We've whittled down a list of the most memorable moments from the night's good, bad and ugly.